A quick skim of the bill reveals "Title V—Matters relating to foreign countries", whose Section 501 calls for the government to "counter active measures by Russia to exert covert influence … carried out in coordination with, or at the behest of, political leaders or the security services of the Russian Federation and the role of the Russian Federation has been hidden or not acknowledged publicly.”

The section lists the following definitions of media manipulation:

Establishment or funding of a front group.

Covert broadcasting.

Media manipulation.

Disinformation and forgeries.

Funding agents of influence.

Incitement and offensive counterintelligence.

Assassinations.

Terrorist acts.

As ActivistPost correctly notes, it is easy to see how this law, if passed by the Senate and signed by the president, could be used to target, threaten, or eliminate so-called “fake news” websites, a list which has been used to arbitrarily define any website, or blog, that does not share the mainstream media's proclivity to serve as the Public Relations arm of a given administration.

Curiously, the bill which was passed on November 30, was introduced on November 22, two days before the Washington Post published its Nov. 24 article citing "experts" who claim Russian propaganda helped Donald Trump get elected.

As we reported last week, in an article that has been widely blasted, the WaPo wrote that "two teams of independent researchers found that the Russians exploited American-made technology platforms to attack U.S. democracy at a particularly vulnerable moment, as an insurgent candidate harnessed a wide range of grievances to claim the White House. The sophistication of the Russian tactics may complicate efforts by Facebook and Google to crack down on “fake news,” as they have vowed to do after widespread complaints about the problem."

PropOrNot has pushed a conspiratorial thesis, without any actual proof, that the listed websites have been either used directly or covertly by the Russians to spread propaganda.

While the bill passed the House with a sweeping majority, it is unknown if and when the bill will work its way through the Senate and be passed into law, although one would think that it has far higher chances of passing under president Obama than the President-Elect. It is also unclear if it will be used to shut down websites anonymously characterized as "useful idiots" or subversive elements used in disseminating supposed Russian propaganda.

The fact that the House already had a bill on this subject and that it passed overwhelmingly tells us everything we need to know about how this is going to proceed. We are going to see an all out war on all internet activity that is not approved by the ministry of truth. Once again, Orwell proved himself a prophet.

How about we target our own lying pieces of shit media before we worry about other countries lying pieces of shit media??? I will guarantee I have been lied to far more by websites and media that reside right here in the good ole US of A, than I have been by any "Russian" websites. Of that I have no doubt.

The ex-CEO of Breitbart advises the President to sign off on a bill to shut down Breitbart (amongst others) as a "fake" news outlet?

Maybe not.

However...

This bill, being so important, obviously precludes a house or senate committee investigating media sites producing said 'fake' news, and shutting them down upon failure to report the truth. Which would put all the usual suspects (CNN, WaPo, NYT, etc) right in the fucking crosshairs, when you drill down into the factuality of their content. They'd be fucked sideways.

Might be an idea for them to lay off throwing their own shit to the four winds.

sure, let them pass this bullshit bill; we can use it as an excuse to publish the names of americans who were on russia's payroll back in KGB days -- these records exist, i can absolutely assure you...who knows, maybe the chi-coms inherited them as assets after the fall. we should also see the names of 'Daily Worker' subscribers & members of SDS, and the American CWP. we can also use it to purge anyone with a dual citizenship from any position of power. the problem doesn't begin and end with russia. this country needs to eliminate influence from every foreign nation. anyone possessing dual citizenship doing anything more important than janitorial work must renounce the other citizenship and swear a loyalty oath.

two can play at this game, tptb.

more than anything, this is an attempt to distract from pizzagate.

pizzagate is very, very real. far and away the biggest story of a lifetime.

Trump had best watch his back, being as he wants to deal with Russia on an even footing. This law tells me ALL the current administration and congress are down with the "Russia is our boogie man" narrative. Back in 1914 an unfortunate event involving a certain Serbian-sympathizing heir to the throne and his wife was used to start WWI.

No. it is 100% about loyalty to the principles outlined in the Constitution. It is about the willingness to stand and defend those principles from enemies both within and outside our boundaries. Either you are one of us, or you belong in your heart to some other tribe. You sound just like a coward, ready to run at the first sign of trouble, not someone who can be counted on to stand with true citizens. Such people do not belong anywhere near levers of power or influence in America's government, defense industry, or in high finance.

Dear letsit, tazs, techies-r-us, stizazz, lock-stock, beauticelli, Mano-A-Mano, mofio, santafe, Aristotle of Greece, Gargoyle, bleu, oops, lance-a-lot, Loftie, toro, Yippee Kiyay, lonnng, Nekoti, SumTing Wong, King Tut, Adullam, espirit, rp2016, Holy hand grenade of Antioch, amongst many others, I wonder why you continue to talk to yourself? When you use honest disclosure of your Biblical site (Even though the site has no connection whatsoever to your comments) I willnot respond with a SPAM alert. So there is no need to talk to yourself to prevent my SPAM alert appearing right below your fake links. Unless you see the need to congratulate and/or reassure yourself on your clever comments, knowing that nobody else will? Alternatively, it can only mean you are seriously mentally ill. Talking to yourself is not good; you MUST remember to take your meds.

What he is, is a troll of the highest order. Very likely on some Israeli payroll, monitoring this site 24/7. He is desperate to prevent everyone from clicking any link to this Biblicism Institute, which seems to criticize Israel. Just ask yourself what he is afraid we will learn. Most here are capable of critical thinking, so why is he so hell bent on acting as our censor?

Sickens me that these are nothing more than an admission that they have to protect stupidity in America. Let America read what it chooses and decide for itself what is bullshit and what is not. What are they afraid of? Essentially, its that America is dumb as a rock. And THAT says it all..

so, really, when you think about it, should this beauty pass, it's actual enforcement, if the defendants are brave enough and rich enough to demand trials instead of just rolling over in plea bargaining (please don't test my bravery or wealth mr. secret agent man), the discovery and cross examination, etc. should provide some useful shit for sheeple shearing of eye wool, no?

Out of curiosity I asked a group I was with tonight (very mixed bag of about 10 people) if they had heard of pizzagate. Not one person had. They are doing a good job of never even letting it reach the memory.

and the wonder of our era, and the force that strikes cold fear down to the sex parts and assholes of the power elite, is that you can follow up that conversation with emails/tweets/facebooklets, whatever, to the group, or some of them, with extensive documentation complete with videos and pictures, leaked podesta emails and comments threads, etc. and fucking etc., and put it in the memory.

I do my part. Most just ignore it. I kinda go in cycles. I am active for a while then just get completely discouraged by the apathy. Then something horrifically evil like pizza gate gets me to start talking/posting/emailing again. As a follow up none of these people had heard of the franklin coverup/conspiracy of silence or jimmy sevil or any of the semi exposed pedo rings. Corbettreport had a really good replay of a show last week covering a lot of them. It's these other ones that really gives me little doubt pizzagate is the real deal. Unfortunately I don't think any of it is going to bring any of these sick fucks down. There is no smoking gun that I have seen.

Yes, you identified the problem. What is needed is a smoking gun. Some one who has the App mentioned in the email/videos needs to be flipped, or we need some pictures, or a body. Most cannot fathom such evil, and turn away from it in horror. Without that smoking gun, engaging others in that story tends to leave them thinking that you are some kind of nut case yourself.

It's not going to stop with this one bill. Just like CIPA, they will keep ratcheting up the restrictions, one after the other, until any legal source of Internet news is as controlled as the MSM.

So that will be it, right? 1984 2.0? We will all have to learn how to say 'Sieg Heil'?

Not quite. Because the Internet isn't standing still, either. 'Fake' news sites will just go 'underground'. In other words, they will become illegal. Meaning you will become a criminal if you access them.

You think the new Silk Roads are big just because a few pot-heads want to toke up? What do you think will happen when then entire country realizes that they have to go to places like that to learn what is really going on?

Connect the dots and you can see where this is going. An entire society operating illegally over the Internet, protected only by anonymity from the wrath of the state.

Someday soon.

Maybe now?

Why do we still have spam? Or ransomware? Or sources for Wikileaks? You don't really think it's the Russians, do you? Or the Chinese? Or any 'state' actor?

Thieves Emporium is a primer on this word, a technical education wrapped in fast-paced fiction to keep the plot interesting. It does for this new digital badlands what Hunt For Red October did for modern submarine warfare.

The Daily Anarchist loved the novel and called it "Barely Fiction". The Daily Bell thought it was so good they ran it as a serial. And one of the Directors of The Bitcoin Foundation said of it: "I recommend you read this book".

Readers at Amazon must agree, as they rate it 4.6 in over 100 reviews. Ditto for Barnes & Noble and Smashwords, though without quite so many ratings.

But I don't think The Deep State likes it very much. So you better get your hands on a copy before they force it off the market.